That was the realisation I’d come to. It sounds heavy, but it’s no big deal we all do it at times. With 2 young children and a job with long hours, it’s the usual late 30s mallaise I guess. My wife, lucy, and I decided we were both in a bit of a rut and a bit of a shake up was in order.

A holiday? A new resovle to walk to dogs…. Shit! Wasn’t meant to admit to that. I meant walk the dogs longer and more interesting places…

No. In my usual way, I was struck by the notion of simply devoting a year to revolutionising my health, hobbies and lifestyles. I don’t know where these things come from but I just get hit with ideas for grand schemes, hijinx and shenanigans on a scale completely out of proportion with most things I was intending (and 9 times out of 10, with what I end up doing). These things are always too hard, too complicated and too public for me to actually go with. But this time will be different……..

12 months, 12 challenges. 12 things I am bad at or should have done a long time ago:

Challenge

Achieve in a month:

1

The Scrape and Suffer Challenge

3000 press ups

2

The Salt Walk Challenge

Walk 240 Miles

3

The Frugal Food Challenge

Eat for £1 a day

4

The Cycle of Life Challenge

Cycle 500 miles

5

The Body Weight Challenge

500 Pull ups

6

The Channel Challenge

“Swim the channel” (35000m in a pool)

7

The Atlas Challenge

Lift 50 tonnes (25kg at a time)

8

The Water Source Challenge

Carry 20kg for 3 miles each day “to the well and back”

9

The Jurassic Coast Challenge

Run 78 Miles cross-country in 3 days

10

The Teenage Kicks Challenge

Record an music album

11

The Fish Finger Challenge

Feed the neighbourhood

12

The Is-Oughta Author Challenge

Write a book

Some of these might look easy to you others might look mental. Please bear in mind I am currently 18 and a half stones and haven’t exercised properly in two years since achilles tendonitis ruined my football career (my regular 5-a-side game anyway). So 500 pull ups in a month might not sound a lot to some (if you can already do 50 then that’s only 2 or 3 workouts a week). But I can’t do one so have to figure out how to do one before I can do tha 500 times! Get it?

I’ll be posting more on each one as we get to it and will be posting regularly as I go through each month to keep me honest. I might even get into video blogging if I get carried away and go all fancy pants.

To make sure I stick to this and don’t just slope off as usual, I’m posting this blog and will also be raising money for several chosen charities.

To start with, Month 1 will be the Alzheimer’s Society. I’m happy to hear your suggestions for future months.

What I ask of you is read, post comments, donate money below. If you can’t afford to donate each month or if you just like the idea, why don’t you think up your own 12 challenges and a join we. Email me a willbaird@yahooo.co.uk and I’ll help set up your own fundraising if you like and will open this blog up so we can give all us Challengers some coverage.